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The Medicine of the Naam

By Guruka Singh Khalsa

“Health” and “disease” are words I feel compelled to define before delving into further discussion. Dis-ease means just that—a state of not being at ease, not relaxed and not completely at peace with one’s self. Health comes from the word “heal,” which means “whole”—that is, a state of spiritual wholeness.

Guru Nanak[1] always spoke to the higher meanings of these words and understood that until we are made whole and live in the state of consciousness he called “sahej” (which means balanced, relaxed, at ease, and in tune with the flow of the universe) we will suffer from dis-ease. This does not mean that we are always responsible for making ourselves sick. We all have samskaras (patterns of behavior learned and reinforced in previous lives) that we bring into this incarnation, as well as karmas (events set into motion by the consequences of our own actions in this and previous incarnations). Ultimately, it is our state of consciousness—moment to moment—that determines how we act, learn, and live in relation to our own situation.

Sometimes people ask me, “Why are you so happy?” Perhaps my happiness disturbs them in some way. Or perhaps they are genuinely curious.

My answer is very simple: Our degree of happiness is inversely proportional to the amount of time we spend dwelling on our own predicament in life.

Guru Nanak spoke of these matters as follows:

“When selfishness and conceit go away, peace comes, and the mind and body are healed. One who, by Divine Grace, is cured of the disease of ego—O Nanak, that person is forever healthy.” Siri Guru Granth Sahib(SGGS)[2] p. 260

“O my mind, there is only one medicine, mantra, and healing herb—center your consciousness firmly on the One.” SGGS p. 156

And also this way:

“Remembering the One God in meditation, all diseases are healed. Only constant remembering of your True Identity brings true health.” SGGS p. 240

“The minds of the humble Saints are at peace. The Name of the Lord is the Support of His servants. By the Name of the Lord, millions have been saved. The Saints chant God’s praises day and night. The holy ones use God’s Name as their healing medicine.” SGGS p. 264

“Worship and adore the One and you shall be free of disease. This is the Lord’s healing rod, which eradicates all disease.” SGGS p.817

“The Love of God is the healing remedy; the Name of the Lord is the healing remedy.” SGGS p. 1118

“Those who meditate and remember God in their hearts, they look upon even great pain as God’s Grace. The healthy person is in truth very sick, if he does not remember the One God, the Embodiment of Mercy.” SGGS p. 1356

Our physical body is our vehicle to carry us through this lifetime. When we care for it, we honor the sacred gift of life and show our gratitude to the One Creator for giving us the blessing of a human incarnation. It is in remembering our true identity, and living with a deep attitude of gratitude, that we live happy, healthy, and holy lives.

Guruka Singh Khalsa is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Sikhnet. He is a teacher, writer, and inveterate punster. At SikhNet he does management, administration, business networking, fundraising, communication, and teaching. He is a source of inspiration to SikhNet staff as well as the entire “cybersangat.” He has been featured in over 70 SikhNet video interviews.